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A @uiten tat-tss hstwt @frs THOMAS A. ivre-rArttArID, or MnAnvlLLn,PENNSYLVANIA. Leners Patent No. 64,891, dated-May 21, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT 1N GAN-operen.

T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be itknown that I, THOMAS MCFARLAND, of Meadville, in the county ofCrawford, andState of Pennsylvania, have `invented a new and usefulImplement for- Opening Oyster, Fruit, and other Cans, of which thefollowing is a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, which makes part of this specification, andwhich represents ya view in perspective of my improved cnn-opener.

It is the object of my invention to provide va cheap, silnple, andeiTective implement for cutting an opening in a can by a single blow;and to this end my'improvementconsists in vcombining in a socket aseries of curved pointed teeth, so arranged that when trst forcing theirway into the can their points shall be in contact with it and thusdiminish the resistance to be overcome, and, consequently, the amount offorce to be expended; but as the cutting continues, the cutting edgesexpand until they meet those of the adjacent cutter, and thus punch outa piece of the form circumscribed by the teeth. I v

To carry out the object of my invention I provide, (as shown in thedrawing) a suitable handle, A, having a header stock ,`B, of a diametercorresponding to that ci' the cutter. Upon v't-his head I turn ashoulder, a, to

receive a series of tooth-shaped cutters, C, curved to fit the handle,und fastened by screws or other suitable means. I also bevel the teethon their inner edges, but leave them flush on their outer sides. It willbc seen that'the cutters touch each other at their bases, but that theirpoints are some distance apart. 'lhe cut-ters, it

is obvious, might be formed either of la single piece or ofsections,separately secured to the handle. The cans to which my invention isapplicable are made of sheet tin'or some similar linaterial.

In operation the tool is placed on the' head ofthe can, and the pointsof the teeth driven in by a smart blow, and the cutters forced downuntil thcrforks or. bases have cut through the can, when a piece willhave been cutout of the form of the. cutters. The teeth being bevelledon the inside tend to compress the plug removed, and cause it to remaininside the cutter, thus i'nciltatingits removal from the can. A singleblow will generally be suiicient to cut the opening.

I am aware that it has been proposed to open cans by the use of asingle, cutter operating like thesingle blade of a shear, that is,requiring several cuts or blows to remove the plug. I am also aware thatcutters have been used in combination with separa-te spring handlessliding through u ring, and thus compressing the cutters to cut atapering plug out of cork or other soft substance.

I, therefore, do not claimvbroadly cutting an opening in a can, but--Having thus fully described my improvement, what I claim therein as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As a new article of manufacture, the can-opener consisting of the handleA and cutters C, constructed, arranged, and operating as described forthe purpose of cutting out a disk or plug at a. single blow, as setforth.

" fr. A. MCFARLAND.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MGNAMARA, ALBERT W. BROWN.

